Seed jars were used to store seeds collected for the next year's planting, an essential part of the unending cycle of cultivating and harvesting crops. In times of food scarcity, such jars were also used to store the seeds of wild plants, which were ground up and mixed with cornmeal.

While pottery continues to be made for personal and ceremonial use, or for trading among the pueblos, its function has also changed. Pieces once traditionally used as food and water containers or storage vessels have become art objects, made for non-Native American buyers who often commission specific pieces to round out their collections. Potters have responded differently to this market. Some feel it limits creativity, while others work to meet commercial expectations. Dextra Quotskuyva voices her viewpoint: "It's hard to do another pot expecting it to be the way that they want their pot to be. The pots are all different. They all have their own character."